The 22nd annual Billabong Grommet Games concluded this weekend at PE’s Pollock Beach, with the Western Province team claiming the Mandela Bay Trophy for the third time in a row.
The triumphant Western Province team.
For the over 100 competitors taking part in the Billabong Grommet Games, it was their first taste of competitive surfing. The event is a great stepping stone and development initiative, which has seen past champions go on to bigger and better things.
For evidence of this, look no further than 2012 Grom Games champion, Ntando Msibi, who along with the rest of the SA Junior Surfing Team, jetted off to Uruguay yesterday to represent his country at the 2014 ISA World Surfing Games.
2012 Grom Games champ, Ntando Misibi (front and centre), along with the rest of the SA Junior Team.
Winning this year’s premier Under 16 division was Western Province’s Jaro Conradie-Phiri, who took out the title with some committed surfing at Pipe. Time will tell whether Jaro will go on to represent his country too, like Ntando, but for the time being he is taking a step in the right direction.
Jaro Conradie-Piri was the surfer to beat at this year’s Billabong Grommet Games.
Of course Jaro was just one winner from the weekend, in which groms as young as Under 8 also competed. There was also a tag team event (also won by Western Province), as well as Beach Flags and Paddle Battles – which made for an epic four days of competition in Port Elizabeth.
Click here to check out a photo gallery from the event.
For all the results and the full contest report, check out the official press release below.
************
Western Province win the Mandela Trophy for the third year in a row at the 2014 Billabong Grommet Games in Port Elizabeth
Jaro Conradie – Phiri of Western Province : U16 Boys Champion
Sunday March 30th: The Western Province Grommet team won the Billabong SA Grommet Games which was completed at the Pipe, Pollock Beach Port Elizabeth Sunday and took home the Mandela Bay Trophy for the third year in a row. Hosts Eastern Province were second, last year’s runners up KZN Central were third, Border came fourth, Boland secured fifth spot and Southern Cape were sixth.
Western Province also won the Tag Team Trophy, beating Eastern Province, Border and KZN Central in the Final but the coveted Team Spirit Award, also known as Best Team Award, went to Boland who despite only finishing fifth overall displayed the best Team Spirit throughout the event.
Once again Western Province’s dominance at this unique 22 year-old event is a credit to the excellent administration and coaching of a group of girls and boys by a dedicated management team.
Over 100 girls and boys from six provincial associations took part in the annual event which is Surfing South Africa’s premier entry level inter-provincial tournament.
Sponsorship from Billabong, funding from Sport and Recreation South Africa and support from BOS ensured that the 22nd edition of the SA Grommet Games was a success once again.
The Grommet Games were well organised once again by Event Secretary Shirley Fairall and her team and supported by SSA Vice President Johnny Bakker and hosts Eastern Province Surfing Council while Contest Director Brad Beck and his officials did a great job over the four days of competition.
In addition Josh Enslin and the Billabong Team once again made the contest a standout on the annual Surfing South Africa calendar.
In the individual surfing categories, the youngest winner was Nate Colby of KZN Central while Kyra Bennie of Western Province took honours in the Under10 Final. The Under 12 Boys and Girls Champions were Nathan Spalding of KZN Central and Kelly Fenton of Eastern Province. Spalding was also named Surfer of the Contest.
Luke Slijpen of Western Province won the Under 14 Boys title while Courtney Sim of KZN Central was the Under 14 Girls Division winner.
The Under 16 Boys championship went the way of Jaro Conradie Phiri of Western Province with Southern Cape girl Taghiti Gericke taking honours in the Under 16 Girls Division.
The Von Zipper Best Manouvre Awards were won by Luke Snyman of WP and Courtney Sim of KZN Central. Kyra Bennie of WP achieved the highest wave score and was presented with a surfboard donated by top South African surfer, Dale Staples.
Patience Schoeman of Southern Cape was presented with the Sportsmanship Award
The full results and a gallery of photos will be posted on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za
The SA Grommet Games is a tournament with a primary focus on transformation and development within the sport. Provincial structures are set strict criteria when selecting their teams for the four days of competition. While the main focus of the event is on surfing, participation in events such as a Paddle Battle, Beach Flags and Tag Team contest are included in the activities.
2014 Billabong SA Grommet Games Full Results:
BEACH FLAGS
Under 10 & Under 12 Girls
:
1ST Kayla Nogueira (KZN Central)
2ND Fehmke Murray (Southern Cape
)
3RD Kelly Fenton (Eastern Province)
UNDER 14 & Under 16 Girls
:
1ST Chelsea Mussel (Western Province
)
2ND Elchristie Marais (Eastern Province)
3RD Jade Vaughan (Eastern Province)
UNDER 8, UNDER 10 & UNDER 12 Boys:
1ST Byron Emslie (Border
)
2ND Wian Jonck (Southern Cape)
3RD Sphelele Shandase (KZN Central)
UNDER 14 & UNDER 16 Boys
1st Ziyaad Boomgaard (KZN Central)
2ND Elrico Ludick (Boland
)
3RD Luke Snyman (Western Province)
PADDLE BATTLE
:
GIRLS:
1st Kira Bester (Boland)
2nd Taghiti Gericke (Southern Cape)
3rd Julia Ploughman (Western Province)
BOYS:
1st Luke Slijpen (Western Province)
2nd Cameron Rheeder (Eastern Province)
3rd Luke Snyman (Western Province)
TAG TEAM
:
1st Western Province
2nd Eastern Province
3rd Border
4th KZN Central
SURFING : RESULTS OF FINALS
UNDER 8
Boys:
1st Nate Colby (KZNC
)
2nd Andre Roos (BOL)
3rd Josh Van Wyk (WP)
4th Callum Emslie (BOR)
5th Kauthar Salie (EP)
UNDER 10
Boys:
1st Kyra Bennie (WP)
2nd Lisa Van Heerden (BOL)
3rd Byron Emslie (EP
)
4th Reegan Roman (WP)
UNDER 12 Girls
:
1st Kelly Fenton (EP)
2nd Emma Decker (WP
)
3rd Kayla Nogueira (KZNC)
4th Kealla Pratt (BOL
)
5th Leah Johnston (BOR)
UNDER 12 Boys:
1st Nathan Spalding (KZNC)
2nd Dylan Hendricks (EP)
3rd Kye Mcgregor (EP
)
4th Spehelele Shangase (KZNC)
UNDER 14 Girls
:
1st Courtney Sim (KZNC)
2nd Julia Ploughman (WP
)
3rd Jade Vaughan (EP
)
4th Patience Schoeman (SC)
UNDER 14 Boys
:
1st Luke Slijpen (WP)
2nd Jared Hook (KZNC)
3rd Tristan Torr (EP)
4th Keegan Mitchell (BOR)
UNDER 16 Girls
:
1st Taghiti Gericke (SC)
2nd Paige Wheal (SC
)
3rd Alice Kotze (WP)
4th Zamokhule Njapha (KZNC)
UNDER 16 Boys
:
1st Jaro Conradie – Phiri (WP)
2nd Luke Snyman (WP)
3rd Enrico Alexandria (EP)
4th Liam Burger (EP)
TEAM RESULTS
:
1 WESTERN PROVINCE 33056
2 EASTERN PROVINCE 29362
3 KZN CENTRAL 25931
4 BORDER 23287
5 BOLAND 21493
6 SOUTHERN CAPE 18327
Von Zipper Best Manouvre
:
Luke Snyman (WP
)
Courtney Sim KZNC Sportsmanship Award:
Patience Schoeman (SC)
Surfer of the Contest
:
Nathan Spalding (KZNC)
Highest Wave Score: Surfboard donated by Dale Staples:
Kyra Bennie (WP)
Team Spirit Award – Best Team Trophy
:
Boland
Surfing Trophy
:
Western Province
Mandela Bay Trophy – Overall Champions of the Grommet Games
:
Western Province
